BJP leader Mukul Roy Wednesday accused the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal of "illegally tapping" his phones after two audio clips of his purported telephonic conversation with his party's general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya were circulated on social media.

In what appears to be fall out of the TDP pulling out of the NDA, the Centre has not released Rs 700 crore funds to Andhra Pradesh for development of seven backward districts for 2017-18 and 2018-19, but a similar assistance due to Telangana has already been given.

The Supreme Court Wednesday directed sealing of seven properties of the Amrapali group at Noida and Greater Noida where the documents related to its 46 group companies are kept.

Mangaluru: As a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal had intensified into a cyclonic storm, Titli, and was moving towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast; it has also affected the west coast.

Gold prices spurted by Rs 200 to Rs 31,850 per 10 grams on increased buying by jewellers and retailers at the bullion market Wednesday following beginning of auspicious week of 'Navratri'. A weak trend overseas, however, capped the gains.

Tarique Rahman, the fugitive son of former Bangladesh premier Khaleda Zia, was sentenced to life and 19 others were given death sentence by a court here on Wednesday over the 2004 grenade attack that killed 24 people and injured 500 others, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

 Pope Francis on Wednesday compared having an abortion to hiring a "contract killer".

"Interrupting a pregnancy is like eliminating someone... Getting rid of a human being is like resorting to a contract killer to solve a problem," Francis said in an address to worshippers in the Vatican.

A special train and buses have been arranged by the Indian Railways for 1,000 passengers stranded in Rae Bareli, where nine coaches and the engine of the New Delhi bound New Farakka Express derailed Wednesday, an official said.